1 corinthiahs 10:1-13

scripture

1 Corinthians 10:1–13 NKJV

1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Introduction

So to Begin with who is talking? The scripture was written by Paul under the influence of the Holy Spirit to the the church at Corinth. Paul wrote the letter on his third missionary Journey which Bible Scholars believe to be around 54-56 A.D. Corinth was the capital city of the Roman province of Achaia .The church was made up of gentile believers. Paul had planted this church during his second missionary Journey. And he wrote this epistle in response to reports he recieved about the state of the church and a response to a letter sent by the church at Corinth. His purpose for writing the letter was to correct the problems he saw in the Corinthian church. That problem being they began to place improper value on worldly wisdom, or in layman terms they put the world before God!

Imitators

You see in verse 1 Paul refers to the Corinthians as brethren, meaning he was talking to fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. He then talks about “our” forefathers which I found kind of odd given the Corinthians were gentiles and genetically the they shared no historical bloodlines. But Paul was tying together the continuity of the covenant between the people of God in the old testament and the new testament Christians. They all shared their spiritual forefathers.

Paul then Draws a comparison to the Corinthian Christians experiences to that of the wanderings of the people of Israel in Exodus. Paul draws a parallel between Israel being baptised in moses in the cloud and sea. He uses the word baptised to point out the implicit analogy. That analogy being as the Corinthian Christians had been baptised in Jesus so had the Israelites been baptised in moses. This analogy was used so that the Corinthians could further identify themselves as the Israelites and therefore apply the lesson that was taught to Isreal to themselves. Paul was making it crystal clear so there was no confusion that the two were one in the same.

Continuing on (verse 3 and 4) Paul talks about the Israelites had the same spiritual food (mana from heaven) and all drank the same spiritual drink. This example was a symbol of communion, which the Corinthians were familiar with. Both instances contain spiritual food that area a display of Gods love and power provided for the Israelites , the believers at Corinth, and Christians today. Paul goes on to explain In verse 4 that the rock which the Israelites drank from was Christ. All early civilizations were located around bodies of water. Because water was the source of life and is needed to live. The same way that Christ is the source of life for all believers both past and present. Jesus said in John 14:6 “ I am the way, the truth, and the life. True Life can only flow through Jesus.

Verse 5 is tough. It says But with most of them God was not well pleased. Despite all the spiritual blessing and privileges provided to the Israelites most did not please God. The old testament tells us that only 2 men from the adult generation that were delivered from Egypt go to see the promised land. Tradition and Religion did not save the Israelites and it was not going to save the Corinthians and it will not save you and I. Imitation does not fool God

Temptations

Verse 6 tells us that these things were examples for us. An Example of what they were tempted by and for us to not fall into the same trap. So this next point we’ll be looking at these temptations and seeing if we are susceptible to them today.

Verse 7

The first temptation Paul mentions is Idolatry. He gives an example from the Israelites from exodus chapter 32. When Moses went up on Mt. Sinai the Israelites gathered all there gold and melted it down and formed a golden calf. They began to call the calf “god” and would offer sacrifices to it and would even sit down and eat with it. This sounded kind of familiar to the believers in Corinth because they had fallen pray to something similar. Earlier in 1st Corinthians Paul called out the Corinthians for partaking food that had been sacrificed to pagan gods and how they had put the food over God and had made an Idol of it. Israels act of idolatry resulted in the death of about 3000 men. It’s pretty easy to sit in the pew and think “well I don’t worship golden calf's or eat food sacrificed to pagan gods, but our life is not without idols. The Merriam-Webster defines the word idol as “a representation or symbol of an object of worship”. Another definition I found for Idolatry is “the worship of handmade gods”. In a culture so driven by gaining or obtaining stuff we idolize everything in the world but God. Our phones, our family, our work. A lot of time these all come before God and they shouldn’t. The warning Paul gives to the Corinthians is a warning to us just he same.

Verse 8

Next Paul mentions the temptation of sexual immorality. He uses an example found in numbers chapter 25. Basically the Israelites had begun to partake in fertility rituals with the prostitutes of baal. And again this sounded familiar to the Corinthians. In chapter 6 of 1st Corinthians Paul calls out those who had had fallen prey to prostitutes in their day. How does this apply to us today? We don’t exactly have prostitutes walking up and down the streets here in south Alabama. But if you have ever turned on the TV or listened to a song written in the last 25 plus years, its not that hard to see or hear sexually immoral things. We have cheapened sex so much in our society that we now allow and except it to happen anytime, anywhere with anyone. In today's time we have access to sexually immoral filth with the click of a few buttons. We like to make excuses that we aren’t taking part in any of it, but we are standing by and allowing it. what you put into your body you will put out. You may be saying if I had to turn the tv off or the radio off anytime something like that came on I wouldn’t get to watch or listen to anything. That right there is the answer, even if we don’t like it. If we spent as much time with God as we did in with the rest of his creation the church and the world would look a whole lot different.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible Chapter 10

Moses in Numbers includes all who died “in the plague”; Paul, all who died “in one day”; one thousand more may have fallen the next day [KITTO, Biblical Cyclopaedia]

Verse 9

Paul then speaks on tempting the Lord. I found the amplified version of the bible puts it best. (that is to test his patience, question his purpose or exploit his goodness) The historical example Paul reflects on is located in the 21st chapter of Numbers. In this instance the Israelites were questioning God’s purpose and provisions. The Lord had sent mana down from heaven and still the Israelites questioned God’s goodness. So the Lord sent serpents amongst them and many of them perished. This again paralleled to the Corinthians who had taken it into their own will to eat the food sacrificed to pagan gods. They flirted in the face of Gods wrath and chose to sin anyway. And you know a lot of times today we question God’s purpose in our life today. How do we do that you ask? an example of this can be found in our church attendance. We pursue our will on Sundays and Wednesdays even though God’s word says in Hebrews 10:25 “ to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. We come to God when we have time for him. We put his own creations above him and then question him when our life's feel like they are falling apart.

Verse 10

Next Paul speaks on the temptation of grumbling or a more common term for us would be complaining. The historical context behind what Paul refers to as the destroyer is found in Number chapter 16. 3 individuals by the name of Koran,Dathan, and Abiram were rebelling against moses. They complained about about Moses who was put in his position by God. But really they were not just complaining about moses they were also complaining about God’s choice. There complaining and question of God resulted in the Earth opening up beneath there them and swallowing them and all they owned up. Those that sided with the 3 were subject to a plague that killed many of them. The historical example was once again a warning to the Corinthians who were complaining about not being able to partake of the pagan sacrificed meat. They questioned why they couldn’t partake but in essence they questioned God. They thought they knew more than the creator and the sustainer of everything that exists. Are we any different today? We complain when God does something and we complain just as much when he does’t. Or so we think he is doing nothing. A lot of times we use God as a genie in a bottle, we ask for everything under the sun with no hesitation to see if it A. Brings glory to God or B. Falls in line for his will for our life. The Israelites made this mistake, The Corinthians made this mistake And church we make this mistake. We are very arrogant to believe that God’s holy judgement was segregated to the days of the old testament. Paul Warned the Corinthians of it it and it’s a warning to us just the same.

Ending

Paul makes it clear in verse 11 these example were written so that we could learn and be counseled by them. And in vs 12 he mentions the last temptation, that being Self Righteousness. If we made it through all the other temptations and your thinking to yourself or trying to convince yourself (which we are so good at) that none of those applied to you, that this message was for anyone else in the room but you. This one might apply to you. The modern day Church and the modern day christian have bitten religion hook-line and sinker. We throw all of our sin in a box and wrap it in religion and with help from lies from the enemy we have genuinely convinced ourselves that we do no wrong and are susceptible to nothing. And church that is a very dangerous place to be. Paul could put it no better than “ let him who thinks he stands take heed les he fall”.

This scripture is tough it steps on toes, even mine. no one is above reproof. But GOD is SO GOOD. Verse 13 is subject to that. It says 1 Corinthians 10:13

1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV

13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

No matter what comes against us God is greater that it. There is nothing we are tempted with that Jesus Christ was not subject to in his time on this earth. God made a way then and he can make a way now. But You must Trust in him and Abide in him daily.